The Celebrity Traitors star Myha’la has come to the defence of her fellow contestants after a fan suggested that she had been banished from the show due to racism.
The Industry actor was one of the 21 famous names competing in the Traitors castle in Scotland for series two of the all-star spin-off.
Despite being made a Faithful, Myha’la’s decision to wink at friend (and Traitor) Richard E Grant before voting him out in episode two led to the 30-year-old being labelled suspicious and kicked off in Thursday (8 October) night’s round table.
But while the American performer celebrated her time on the show on Instagram, one commenter referenced the history of unconscious bias on The Traitors (where ethnic minority players are often deemed more “suspicious” than white players), and told Myha’la “you were banished because you are Black”.
In response, Myha’la said that she “understood” why the writer felt this way, and “may have agreed” had she not “sealed her own fate” by winking at Richard, seeming reluctant to give up her shield in the challenge and sharing her theories so widely.
“That early in the game there is VERY little to grasp on to, and I gave them… a lot,” Myha’a wrote. “However, I do agree that unconscious racial and cultural bias exists in this game where my authenticity or honesty or the ways in which I choose to express myself look suspicious to people who are unfamiliar with people like me.
“I had this fear coming into the game, as I am a BIG fan and also clocked right away how prevalent this is in this game. And I came in knowing I’d be the only American (apart from Honorary British National Treasure Jerry Hall).”
The Bodies Bodies Bodies star continued: “I’m not saying it’s right, I’m not saying racism doesn’t exist, but I do have to defend my dear friends on this show who in no way consciously put bias on me because of my race. That’s not a fair or complete assessment of what really happened in my case.
“And! I do think games like this should allow more conversation around unconscious bias and how, when under pressure, people (society) gravitate towards things they know and understand or subsequently push away from things they don’t. It’s all love, and I REALLY genuinely appreciate your support.”
When another fan wrote that she was “exhausted” watching the suspicion cast towards Black players on shows like The Traitors, Myha’la replied: “I totally agree! It is exhausting, and we have every right to be tired of it. Sending love to you.”
The discussion around unconscious bias has followed The Traitors since it began in 2022, and reached new heights earlier this year when the first three contestants eliminated on series four of the non-celebrity series were all ethnic minorities.
Unconscious bias on reality television is by no means exclusive to The Traitors, however, with a Guardian report finding that non-white dancers on Strictly Come Dancing were 71 per cent more likely to get voted into the bottom two.
Discussing the subject in The Independent earlier this year, journalist Micha Frazer-Carroll wrote: “I don’t think that the show or any of its players are consciously discriminating against people of colour or disabled people. Rather, The Traitors is a game of social judgements, and so our socialisation comes into gameplay. Players are asked to assess abstract traits like trustworthiness and untrustworthiness – at times, purely based on vibes.
“We’re socialised amid a load of ideas about people of colour being suspect, criminal and dangerous. So, of course, internalised biases will inform group consensus on who is ‘shifty’ or ‘just a bit off’.”
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